1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to control and interaction with televisions and other media playback devices.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Identifying a particular viewer (or user) of a computing or multimedia playback device can be useful for controlling information presented to the user and personalizing the viewer's multimedia experience. Control systems that identify a user typically require the user to perform a rather tedious identification process, for example, navigating through a series of menus, or enter identification information such as a password, PIN, or other personal information that identify the particular user (e.g., by a username) and verify the user's authenticity (e.g., by entering a password). Identifying the user, or viewer, facilitates presenting a personalized screen to the user with characteristics associated with the user. For example, a user can select preferred screen preferences, such as a display background image, a screen saver, or which application and shortcut icons are presented on a display. For many applications, such as business computer accounts, banking or online transactions, login security controls can be advantageous to protect against unauthorized access to a user's information. However, current control systems may require tedious login sequences even when security is not a priority for the application. Accordingly, a need exists for improved login methods and devices.